Batavia

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Batavia

Interview conducted on September 8, 2020

By Dan Locke

Batavia is a gothy industrial band from Jacksonville FL. Members: Terri & Ed Cripps

What is your upbringing?

Ed: For the first few years, it was a pretty normal upbringing. Right around middle-school, I think my parents kind of gave up trying to keep me under control and I was a bit of a feral child. I went where I wanted when I wanted without much consequence. I skateboarded around a lot and ran around with our fleeting punk crew. It’s a rough place to grow up in – lots of drugs, lots of violence, but I turned out alright.
Terri: I grew up in a very conservative Christian family in a little small town southeast of Nashville, TN. I was fortunate enough to take piano lessons from a young age and found joy in school and books, so I was a pretty sheltered and wall-flowery loner until my 20s or so.

How did you discover music?

Ed: I had an uncle that would visit during the summer. We didn’t have much room, so he slept on my floor. He went back home and forgot one of his backpacks in my room and it was filled with cassette tapes. Black Flag, KMFDM, The Misfits. I was still a young kid and went from listening to MC Hammer to D.R.I. pretty much over-night.
Terri: It wasn’t until I was mostly older that I was able to find tastes that were my own, musically, stuff not on the radio. I met a guy in a web-chat room in the internet’s infancy who mailed me a compilation tape of some Nine Inch Nails and 16Volt and that was all it took for me to turn rabidly into an industrial fan.

How did you start to write music?

Ed: I started out with tracker software to do soundtrack work for game mods. The only gear I had was a Circuit City keyboard with light-up keys, a Zoom 505 FX processor, and a Kawaii R-100 drum machine. Pretty sophisticated arrangement. I quickly got heavy into synths, guitar, and bass and played in some bands in Massachusetts.
Terri: I was encouraged by my very patient piano teacher to let my creativity fly. She was very forgiving. But I learned a lot during those lessons and she was able to use my songs to teach me things about theory and process that I may not have otherwise cared to have known. At my first performance in which we were required to present an original composition, I won first place in my group, so it was a great confidence booster and made me want to play and explore more.

Even before you got married you had a connection with each other. Tell me about your wedding at the retro arcade in downtown Jacksonville in front of an Addams Family pinball machine. Was it the Rec Room or Keg and Coin?

Terri: Perfection! We got married at the Keg and Coin barcode in Jacksonville, FL. Our first kiss as husband and wife was accompanied by the Final Fantasy fanfare. I walked down the aisle to Danzig and kids threw quarters on the runner. Who else has Mortal Kombat and Skinny Puppy playing at their wedding? It was perfect.

What was your first performance together like?

Ed: Having formed during the height of the pandemic, we’ve yet to perform live. I imagine it will be live-cast in the near future, or at Dave’s Fish and Grits or something, where we’ll be hastily escorted out and barred from the establishment.

What makes a good songwriter?

Ed: Having a vision in your mind’s eye and being able to bring it to fruition, and having the abilities to pull it off without ego circumventing the need to push yourself into an uncomfortable area. Nick Cave, David Bowie – they’re apex songwriters. Regardless of musical chops, they never overplay for the sake of grandstanding their abilities. It’s always what’s right for the song. The Jesus Lizard is another band that could take a feeling, usually an uncomfortable one, and illustrates it with brilliant precision.
Terri: A great song has to have a marriage of music with meaning vocals and lyrics. If either one of those either don’t match the intensity of the moment, then the whole thing gets ruined. When a song is completely wrapped in a message or emotion, that’s where the chills come from. Anywhere from Dolly Parton to Whitney Houston to Elvis and David Yow and Lesley Rankine can take an idea, a thought, and partner that perfectly with the emotion of a song’s moment and it creates magic.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

Terri: Fields of Gray, and we absolutely did. It was the first song on our first EP, Graveyard.

How did you start the band?

Ed: In the parking lot of a discount store. We were listening to Duran Duran’s ‘All She Wants Is’ and collectively decided it should be made into a grimey, industrial jam.

How did the band get its name?

Terri: Oh, this was my obsession! I get sucked into weird historical moments and I ran across the story of the ill-fated merchant ship called The Batavia. Honestly, if you aren’t familiar with the story, there are some great podcasts, books, and websites dedicated to it. But the short story is that it involved a mutiny, lots of drinking, murder, and eventually a happy ending of “justice” in a way. Jeronimus Cornelisz. was the main antagonist in the story, killing everyone who rose against or inconvenienced him? He took the lovely Lucretia Janz as his own, sparing her life. We keep learning about the Batavia itself, as the resting place of the ship was located in the 1970s and they were able to dig up a lot of her secrets. There are many parallels one could take away from the story if you were so inclined, and I take my own. Anyway, the Batavia was a story of greed, lust, power, and justice. A befitting name that allows us to explore all manner of mankind’s vices and virtues as well.

How is it to work as husband and wife on your music?

Ed: Band members are always on time and pay studio rent, so that’s a huge advantage for us! Seriously though, it’s amazing. No egos, real honest communication about song-writing. We’re fortunate enough to have the same musical interests, and we both play off each other’s strengths, and we usually do it in our pajamas.
Terri: I hadn’t been doing much in the music on my own until we came up with this idea. It has been the delight of delights to get to dig back into this side of my brain again with Ed. We have such similar ideas and each come up with new additions and sparkles to throw into songs. Our songs mean something to us as individuals and as a team, it’s been amazing to connect with my best friend on this level.

Tell me about your latest EP, “Quite Mean Spirited”?

Ed: Thematically, it’s about malevolence, which is a topic that’s a pretty well-walked road, but we wanted to show it from an analytical perspective. The main exploration is done across four of the five songs. The Jesus and Mary Chain cover of ‘Upside Down’, it’s a song we wanted to do for sure, but it’s almost a mood breaker because the other subject matter is really heavy.

We recorded it back-to-back with our last, ‘Graveyard’. Whereas Graveyard was a little looser in theme, Quite Mean Spirited was a more focused endeavor. There’s an overarching mood that was very much deliberate. We spent a lot more time on these songs and a lot went into ensuring everything gelled as a whole. It’s angrier, mournful, and I think you really feel that after a full listen.

Any meaning behind the title?

Terri: It was a working name for the title track and it just stuck – The whole theme of the EP was about mean-spiritedness.

How did you ever find out about the story of Ab Initio?

Ed: I think it was on a podcast? We really jumped into researching about the gulag system as a whole after coming across this story.

What is your favorite track on the album?

Terri: ‘Quite Mean Spirited’ – When I first heard the music, it made me feel emotional. I think the work that we did to put words to that feeling was very satisfying.
Ed: ‘Finis’ – it was a tough track, knowing the subject matter. Terri really put herself into it and really finely sculpted out all of the details. We spent a really long time on that one. The last few days of mixing were spent on that and it was just emotionally exhausting.

The recording happened in Jacksonville, FL, during a marathon recording session. How long did you work on the recording? Was there any social distance during the recording?

Ed: There was a lot of editing and back and forth on a lot of the tracks. A lot ended up on the cutting room floor. We really tried to do what was best for each song. We were like, a foot apart the whole time – but we don’t go out much and socialize, so we’re doing our part.
Terri: I tried to not lick Ed’s ear.
Ed: Unsuccessfully tried to not lick my ear.

How do you stay healthy while performing?

Ed: Avoiding the public at large.

Ed- you have a thrift shop synthesizer. What type is it and how much did you pay for it?

Ed: Ha. A Korg EA-1. It’s garbage. There’s a blown output jack, it sounds like late 90s digital – just terrible. But, it’s the first piece of gear I bought after selling everything I had after the 2008 financial crisis. It was $100 and has more sentimentality than functionality at this point.

Terri- Are you going to do Kirie from Fatal Frame again for Halloween. What will you do if Halloween is cancelled because of the virus?

Terri: I would like to! She’s a very powerful character, full of torment and pain and resentment, and she never says a word. Halloween can be in our house; it doesn’t have to be anywhere special.

Did you do anything for Mary Shelley’s birthday?

Terri: I posted about it on my Facebook. I think people would be just as interested in her mother as they would be in her life. I don’t think the mother gets the credit she deserves.

What are your feelings about streaming music?

Terri: Streaming is great for the listener, but not for the bands. I think the physical piece of music made for a better connection with the artist.
Ed: It’s just a new reality. It has its ups and downs. I would prefer to own a physical copy of the music, but I very much appreciate the connection that comes from paying for a streaming album. You feel good supporting an artist – and tend to appreciate the music more. You’ve invested in it and will listen more carefully because of that exchange.

Digital vs. vinyl?

Ed: I prefer digital for its community building. Not everyone can press vinyl, but anyone can have a Bandcamp. There’s a real connection from buying music from an artist and showing your support, and a digital download is the shortest path to that.
Terri: I’m going to say vinyl because of the same reason as books opposed to a Kindle. I like being able to touch the product and experience it at the same time. Holding someone’s complete idea for a musical project, it’s easy more fulfilling than a download and listens. Also, vinyl to me just sounds fuller and warmer, more alive.

What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?

Terri: I think the social uprising is about progress and moving forward vs people wanting to keep things at the status quo. There are a lot of factors wrapped up in it, but nothing good happens without struggle and work. That’s what’s happening, at the very basic level. It sucks that for some people, there’s no acceptable way to get the change because the status quo is so angry and scared and resistant. There’s anger on all sides and it’s only going to get more intense as time goes on, I think. I’m glad it’s happening and I’m glad people are being made to feel uncomfortable and hopefully face themselves honestly. It’s a terrifying time to be alive, but it’s a very important time, all the same. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m hoping it will eventually lead to more empathy as a society.
Ed: I empathize with anyone that’s been affected by the disgusting gestapo tactics of our police force and I understand the reaction to it, but I think we’re seeing something more here. We’re witnessing the final death-knell of Western Society, for better or worse. The lights are on, the party’s over. You had generations under certain commonalities of religion or citizenship that would bind our society. Being a citizen means nothing when you feel hopelessly excluded. The idea of god has been obliterated from mass public consciousness. Everyone was alright with dropping the shackles of untruth, but were never prepared to support the weight of the real truth. In the absence of inherent, cosmic value, the real truth is that we are 100% without value. All the labels, divergences and subdivisions of human classification are all contrived, applied distinctions. Made up fairy-tales to fool ourselves into believing that we know what’s going on – our ‘group’ knows what’s going on, or that we’re somehow special.
Without the untruth, everyone knows the real truth is we’re primates on a space-rock in the armpit of an uncaring universe that will ultimately forget we ever existed. That’s a lousy truth. It’s more comfortable to hold on to the bullshit and vehemently defend it to the death.
Republican, Democrat, Left, Right – nobody, and I mean nobody knows what’s going on and anyone that tells you otherwise is either lying to you or more often lying to themselves.

What is the mental health situation of the United States? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?

Ed: Depending on the state that you’re in, mental health is treated very differently. Some states are better, some are much worse. If you want to help on the front-lines, stay out of the front-lines. Wear a damn mask and stay home if you can and stay healthy.

Do you think kids should go back to school his fall?

Ed: No. Kids shouldn’t go back to school at all. The educational system needs to be rethought for the 21st century. Half of the jobs are going to disappear in the next decade, which is a perfect world would mean the increased profit from productivity would transfer to the remaining employment opportunities, and a dad or mom could stay at home and be directly involved in their child’s education while the other parent goes to work. Thinking honestly, we use technology to create shortcuts for every other problem, but we still cram children in busses and buildings to relay information to them? It doesn’t make any sense.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

Ed: Leonard Cohen’s ‘Everybody Knows’. It’s hopeless and beautiful and is as potent today as the day it was recorded.
Terri: Rorschach Test, ‘Lament’. That gets a lot of grief, but their songs really grab me. Politically, I don’t agree with their lyrics all the time, but this song and a couple of others have some very colorful and deep lyrics that tend to stick with me.

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?

Terri: I think it’s a temporary blip and people want to be back to the way it was. People want to go out, bump into friends and come home stinking. Live streaming isn’t enough. Nobody wants that to be their only option.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Ed: Essential worker here. Not fantastic. I mean, I’m extremely thankful that my job hasn’t been affected by the virus, but it’s made it next to impossible to quarantine by any effective means. Terri works from home so that’s no real change there.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Ed: Painting and electronics building. My main hobby is collecting too many hobbies, it seems. Does starting an industrial band count?
Terri: That. And I’ve got my piano back and working on getting my fingers back in some sort of playing order. Also, I’m getting pretty decent at parkour in Roblox with my son, so that’s a thing.

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

Ed: We’re not big TV watchers, but we’ll watch true crime docs before bed. There are a few artists I’ll tune into if I see a livestream going on – Stoneburner, Klack, and I try to catch Space Couch when it’s on.

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. What are you planning to do?

Ed: Probably not a nightly show, but definitely some planned events for sure. We’re a family and need our family time, we’re also both full-timers with a lot of hours dedicated to our day jobs.

With no real live music (mostly virtual shows) what do you expect for things like Drive-In Theater shows with crowds for the past 6 months, what do you think will be the future of music?

Ed: We’re going to see a lot of staple clubs and venues disappear over the next few months, and that really sucks, but it’s just facts. Keeping a venue in the black is damn near impossible in the most ideal conditions. We may see a consolidation of entertainment venues, but I see live streaming probably being the dominant medium over the next few years with new clubs opening and some closing. Drive-in shows, if they become a real thing, they won’t be accessible to smaller bands.

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?

Ed: Musical artists have an opportunity for greater exposure through the internet and live-streaming than they do playing live shows, which can be hit or miss. Live shows have a much greater impact though. If you play in front of 5 people, meet those people and make a real-life connection, it’s much more memorable than getting a mention in the chat stream. I think we’re all used to waiting for our products to arrive through the mail and direct to garment printing has opened the market for bands that cannot afford to print several Rubbermaid totes of merch for the vending tables.

Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home? Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music, and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

Ed: Definitely – If an artist is savvy enough, and can provide enough value to their audience, their audience will be willing to support the artist.
For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue.

How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?

Ed: If small venues are open, they may have to. I think a viable option would be to tour locally, establish a base where your draw would be more predictable and use the internet and live streaming for their expanded reach.

With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of the music fest for the next couple of years?

Ed: I’m hopeful that things will normalize before the end of next year. I may be eating my words.
Terri: Next five years? I can’t even predict next month lol. This year has given me all the reason I need to give up on predicting anything. Hopefully, we will look back on 2020, all healthy in body and mind, and we can take whatever lessons we can from this whole… *gestures maniacally*

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Ed: I don’t know about that – can you imagine the TikTok videos of people air-humping Justin Timberlake? That’s a whole can of worms that will probably be best left unopened.

How do you see yourself in the next five years?

Ed: Personally, more enlightened, not bitter. As a musical entity, I don’t think I want to know. I want to be surprised at where we end up musically.

Anything you would like to say in closing.